Jails and prisons cannot shift the cost of tracking the cash taken from arrestees onto the backs of those arrested without a potential violation of
House Wins Access to Mueller Grand Jury Materials
The House of Representatives has a right to see secret grand jury material gathered in former special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in
Trump Asylum Ban Rule Blocked
A federal appeals court has blocked enforcement of the Trump administration rule that bans asylum for anyone who passes through another country before getting to
No Union Rights for non-Religious Adjuncts
A federal appeals court expanded the ability of religious schools to block labor union representation on constitutional religious freedom grounds. A divided District of Columbia
Cartel Murder Conviction of US Agent Overturned
The murder conviction of two Mexican Los Zetas hit squad members in the ambush shooting death of a federal agent was overturned Tuesday by a
Mine Inspection Jurisdiction Expanded
For want of setting a parking brake, a mining equipment company made a federal case of a paltry $116 fine, and Wednesday a federal appeals
EPA Must Protect Salmon from Warm Water
State and federal regulators can no longer get away with do-nothing, foot-dragging on setting temperature standards for rivers to protect salmon and steelhead in the
Bumatay Confirmed, 9th Circuit Balance Narrows
With the US Senate’s confirmation of President Trump’s ninth judge to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals Tuesday it gives the 29-judge court a
DC Circuit to Revisit ‘Kafkaesque’ Gas Pipeline Rules
A federal appeals court, by a vote of the full court, has revived an environmental challenge to a natural gas pipeline that would run from
Court Questions Trump Bar on Asylum Seekers
A federal appeals panel showed little sympathy Monday for the Trump administration’s rule that bars asylum to anyone who enters the US through Mexico if
Challenge to Immigrant Work Visas Reinstated
Southern California tech workers won reinstatement of a lawsuit challenging a federal rule that allows immigrants who are H-1B visa-holders to seek jobs with Southern
FBI Use of Wireless Tracking Device Not a ‘Search’
It is not an illegal search when the FBI uses wireless-tracking software to detect the address of a wireless device that is downloading child porn
McDonald’s Not the ‘Employer’ in Franchise Labor Cases
McDonald’s Corp. can’t be held liable for labor law violations by its various franchise owners, a federal appeals court held Tuesday. The 9th US Circuit
Major Asylum Hearings Tuesday
The federal appeals court in San Francisco takes up two significant immigrant appeals Tuesday; whether aliens seeking asylum must come through a legal port of
Firing Over Howard U. Lab Conditions Gets Day in Court
A federal appeals court reinstated the retaliatory firing lawsuit by former Howard University researcher who said she was dismissed after objecting to the school’s inhumane
US Citizen Wrongly Held by Immigration Gets Day in Court
A federal appeals court revived the lawsuit of a Brooklyn man, and US citizen, who was wrongly held in immigration detention for four days. Luis
Juror Misconduct Upends North Carolina Death Sentence
A federal appeals court has reversed a North Carolina death sentence based on a trial juror’s improper consultation with her pastor about whether she could
Stamp Price Hike Revoked
Sometimes the little guy does win. The January five-cent rate hike for a first-class stamp has been invalidated by a federal appeals court, based on
Political Robocalling Reinstated in Montana
Montanans can expect to get waves of robocalls for the 2020 election because the state law regulating them bars automated calls promoting a political campaign
Steinbeck Daughter-in-law Loses Literary Rights Fight
A decades-long legal fight by relatives of author John Steinbeck over the rights to his works “has to end” a federal appeals court said in
LinkedIn Can’t Stop Data Mining of Profiles
Professional networking website LinkedIn cannot stop a data mining company from scraping LinkedIn’s public profiles for the personal information of the site’s 500 million users,
Appeal Court Blocks Indiana Voter Purge Law
A federal appeals court blocked a 2017 Indiana law that allowed local county election officials to kick voters off the roles immediately without cause. The
LA Officer Immune From Suit in Teen Shooting
A Los Angeles police officer is immune from civil suit over his shooting of a teen rapping before school with three friends, but the officer
Migrant Right to Counsel Must be ‘Knowingly’ Waived
A federal appeals court broadened immigrant protection against speedy deportation by recognizing a right to hire their own lawyer when pursuing a fear of torture
Partial Reprieve for Trump Asylum Ban
A federal appeals court will not allow immigration authorities to enforce President Trump’s ban on asylum-seekers from entering the US, but has limited the order
Migrant Child Detentions Not ‘Safe and Sanitary’ Court Says
Detaining migrant children without adequate food or water, soap or toothbrushes, and forcing them to sleep on a cold cement floor with a foil blanket
NFL Antitrust Suit Revived
Football fans may be a step closer to expanded access to NFL games without having to buy bundled game packages. The 9th US Circuit Court
Nearly 1,000 Family Separations Since Judge Barred it in 2018
In the past year ending June 29, the Trump administration has taken nearly 1,000 children – including babies and toddlers, from parents based on dubious
Court Approves Coal Mining on Navajo Land
A federal appeals court rejected the challenge by environmental groups Monday to block expanded mining on an open pit coal mine located on the Navajo
Montana Prison Lawsuit Reinstated, to New Judge
The Montana State Prison system must face constitutional claims by mental health advocates that its policies and practices create “horrific” treatment of severely mentally ill
Appeal Court Blocks Trump Birth Control Exemptions
A federal appeals court Friday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing new rules allowing employer exemptions from requirements to provide birth control coverage for women.
Court OKs Diversion of Local Police Grants to Immigration Enforcement
In a split decision, a federal appeals panel said Friday the Trump administration was within its constitutional rights to withhold community policing grants for sanctuary
Appeals Court Hears Transgender Restroom Policy Challenge
Things did not go well Thursday for students and parents in an Oregon high school seeking to overturn a policy that allows transgender students to
Emolument Case Against Trump Tossed Out
It’s a huge legal victory for President Trump. A federal appeals court ordered thrown out the lawsuit claiming that Trump violated the Constitution by profiting
Why Isn’t Flynn Testifying Against Ex-partners – Judge Asks
In documents unsealed Tuesday, the government says it will not call Michael Flynn as a witness in the trial of Bijan Rafiekian and Kamil Alptekin
Nine Judge Dissent on ‘Ministerial’ Protection for Catholic School Firing
A federal appeals court split sharply over whether a Catholic school could fire a fifth-grade teacher after she told them she had breast cancer and
Log, Burn Plan OK in Tahoe National Forest to Stem Beetles
A project to thin and burn trees across 2,700 acres of the Tahoe National Forest to address an outbreak of bark beetles was approved by
Abortion ‘Gag Rule’ Can Take Effect Court Says
In a major setback for women’s health-care providers, a federal appeals court allowed to take effect a family planning “gag rule” that prevents doctors and
Detained Migrant Child Access to Soap, blankets Questioned in Appeal
An incredulous panel of appeals judges asked a government lawyer if she was not really arguing that it was “safe and sanitary” to make detained
SEC Public Fund ‘Pay-To-Play’ Rule Upheld
A federal appeals court has upheld the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rule to thwart “pay-to-play” activity in the public pension market, defeating a challenge by
Asset Freeze Upheld Against Firm FTC Says Fleeced Homeowners
In the category of better late than never, a federal appeals court upheld a freeze of all the assets of a company that claimed to
Appeal Court to Rehear Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ Copyright Fight
Claims that Led Zeppelin copied portions of its 1971 hit “Stairway to Heaven” will be played in an even larger court venue with the 9th
Racketeering Charges Against 16 in Aryan Brotherhood Prison Gang
Federal prosecutors charged 16 members of the Aryan Brotherhood prison gang Thursday with racketeering in support of murders and drug trafficking inside California prisons. The
Birth Control Mandate Ruffles 9th Circuit Panel
The ability of employers with moral objections to paying for women’s contraceptive care under terms of Obamacare ran into a raft of concerns by an
Children’s Climate Suit Faces Tough Appeals Review
Appellate judges questioned whether the courts have the power to order the government to address climate change and if they must recognize a new constitutional
House Can’t Sue Trump Over Border Wall Funds
The House does not have the power to haul the Trump administration to court to challenge diversion of funds to pay for the border wall,
James River Transmission Towers May Not be Doomed Afterall
First, the Army Corps of Engineers violated environmental law by giving Virginia’s Dominion power company a permit to build a series of electric transmission towers
Move to Ban Lead Ammo in Arizona’s Kaibab Forest Revived
Groups seeking a ban on lead ammunition in Arizona’s Kaibab National Forest have won another chance to protect endangered condors from ingesting the lead shot
